£B6 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Oct. 20, 1887. 



SAIL PLAN OP CANOE "NOTUS." 



THE SAIL PLAN OF THE NOTUS. 



THE accompanying cut shows the sail plan of the canoe Notusi 

 designed by Com. Gibson and illustrated in the Forest and 

 Stream of May 19, 1887. The sails are those used at the last meet 

 in all the races, including that for the A. C. A. trophy, won for 

 the second time by Com. Gibson. The material is bleached muslin 

 in one width, the edges being bound with wide tape. The battens 

 fit in pockets in the usual manner. The spars are very light, the 

 masts 2in. square at deck, tapering to fiin. diameter at head, the 

 maim boom l}#n. diameter, battens J£in. thick. The dimensions 

 of sails and spars are: 



Main. Mizen. 



Mast, deck to head 13ft. 9in. 6ft. 4in. 



Sail, on foot 9ft. 6ft. 9in. 



Along first batten 8ft. 8in. 6ft. 6in. 



Along second batten 8ft. 



Luff 13ft. 10ft. 6in. 



Leech, total 14ft. 7in. lift. 8in. 



Leech, above batten 10ft. 3in. 9ft. 6in. 



Spacing of battens, fore end . . 1ft. llin. 1ft. llin. 



Spacing of battens, after end.. If t.lj^in. 2f t.l^m. 



Area, square feet 69ft. 39ft. 



The first reef leaves 52ft. in main and 26ft. in mizen, the second 

 reef leaves 35ft. in main. The mizen can be stepped forward and 

 a storm mizen added. The luff of the mainsail is roached 4in. in 

 13ft. and the luff of the mizen in the same proportion. The usual 

 reefgear is added. The sails are hoisted by halliards and lowered 

 with downhauls, the attachment to the mast being by a lacing, as 

 shown. This lacmg is similar to the ordinary hammock or netting 

 stitch, the loop or mesh loosening as soon as the halliard is cast 

 off, but as the latter is hauled taut the meshes lengthen and draw 

 the luff closely to the mast. Notus has just been sold to Rear- 

 Com. R. W. Bailey. 



THE SENECA IN COMMISSION. 



IT'S so long a time since I read of a single-handed cruise in the 

 Forest and Stream that I begin to wonder if everybody has 

 given up that sort of amusement and has taken to racing. What's 

 a Nessmuk" doing? Have rheumatics laid the old fellow up? And 

 Bishop's cranberry plantation has taken all his time, I suppose, 

 although I hear he is going Florida-way this winter. For myself, 

 I've boxed about the Lower Bay, the Upper Bay and the Hudson 

 on five-day cruises, four-day cruises, three-day, two-day and one- 

 day cruises ever since the ice broke up last spring, to very small 

 satisfaction, because as soon as I got anywhere I had to 'bout ship 

 and come back. But now I can see about two weeks coming 

 along in October during which no civilization cares will bother 

 me, and I propose to put in those two weeks aboard the Barnegat 

 cruiser Seneca in a quiet, lazy way, hunting a little, fishing a little, 

 crabbing some, sailing a good deal, aud cooking and eating and 

 sleeping a heap, so that I will get nice and tough before I have to 

 encounter a cold winter in Jersey. I'm not going far, and I'm not 

 going fast. I shall coast along the north shore of Monmouth 

 county, New Jersey, exploring every river and creek as far up as 

 a draft of Sin. will allow; shall halt at Navesink Highlands, where 

 there's a big wood with "big fat gray squirrels living in 'em, for a 

 few days; shall lay close to Sandy Hook for awhile to shoot some 

 snipe and plover for a broil over hard wood coals, and I may ship 

 the Seneca from Branchport to Bay Head, and cruise about 

 Barnegat Bay to look for ducks. At any rate, 

 Blow high or blow low, 

 Rain, shine, sleet or snow. 

 I'll have a good time, away from railroads and unventilated 

 houses, and table-cloths, and boiled shirts, and mirrors, and 

 people whose highest thought is the "pinching" of the dollar of 

 their neighbor. 



The Seneca rides in front of honest old Pop Applegate's inn on 

 Cheesequake Creek, her stern anchored out and her nose tied to 

 a stake ashore. She is "in commission" from April to December, 

 provisioned and fitted for weighing anchor and cruising away for 

 a month at a moment's notice. There's no anticipatory "getting 



ready" for a cruise in her, because she's always ready. I have 

 only to haul her ashore by the "bowline; slide the two hatches off 

 her cockpit; lift out of her interior, mast, sail, boathook, rudder, 

 tiller and oars; put the aft hatch on the stern deck, the fore hatch 

 on her floor inside; haul out the clothes bag from the port side of 

 the centerboard and exchange shore apparel for cruising togs; 

 take the two water jugs to tbe spring and fill them; put a few 

 extras like vegetables or canned goods in the stern cuddy; haul 

 up anchor and drop down stream under two bridges and out into 

 the broad bay for a week, or a month, or longer if circumstances 

 permit. And there itn't another craft of her size afloat that Is 

 handier, safer, pleasanter under sail or oars, or so comfortable a 

 cruiser altogether as my little 14ft. singlehander. 



It may interest Forest and Stream readers to describe the 

 arrangement of the outfit of the Seneca when afloat. Beginning 

 at the stem, she is decked over 5ft. lOin. The centerboard trunk 

 begins 3ft. lin. from the bow and ends at the fore end of the cock- 

 pit. Between the stem and the centerboard trunk are an extra 

 coil of rope and an extra coffee-pot and tin pail. A shrimp net 

 with handle and a jointed fishing rod also occupy part of this 

 space, and extend part way alongside the starboard side of the 

 trunk aft. To the starboard of the trunk, in easy reach of the 

 cockpit, are two small oil stoves and a can of kerosene oil, also a 

 brass rod which is used to shove down the centerboard. On the 

 port side of the trunk are the clothes bag and the granite-ware 

 cooking utensils, kettle, coffee-pot, three cups and three plates. 

 The cockpit tent is folded up on the floor close to the after end of 

 the trunk, and next comes a tin water-tight box with the rubber 

 bag of bedding atop of it, which is used as a seat when rowing. 



The box is divided into compartments. No. 1 compartment con- 

 tains awl, gimlet, screwdriver, nippers, oyster knife, cartridge 

 loadingtools, brass screws, screweyes, brass and galvanized blocks, 

 safety-pin hooks, nails, rings, spare cleats, tacks, etc. No. 2 com- 

 partment contains unloaded shells. No. 3, loaded shells. No. 4, 

 fishing tackle of all kinds, small mirror, comb, thread and 

 needles. No. 5 contains gun-cleaning tips, waste, rags and abottle 

 of gun oil. In the cover of the box a jointed cleaning rod is held 

 by springs. In the rubber bedding bag are mosquito netting, two 

 blankets, a quilt and a thick carriage robe, and perhaps an extra 

 flannel shirt or two that can't be crowded into the clothes bag. 

 Between this seat and the after end of cockpit is a clear space in 

 which to "work ship." 



The after deck is 3ft. long, covering a 2ft. cuddy and a foot of 

 room below decks. In the latter space are slowed the two water 

 jugs, a rubber inflatable mattress, a rubber coat and a macintosh- 

 covered basket containing bread, pilot biscuit, cheese, etc. In the 

 stern cuddy are canned soups, canned plum puddings, sardines, 

 and other tinned edibles, potatoes or other vegetables in water- 

 proof muslin bags: a candle lantern, riding light, and odds and 

 ends of all descriptions. Underneath the side decks on either side 

 of the cockpit are little shelves between every two deck braces. 

 There are seven of these shelves on each side, which, numbered 

 from the stern, are occupied as follows: 



Port. Starboard. 



1 j Bag of shot Bag of shot. 



1 I Can of powder Revolver. 



Soap, sponge Pipe, tobacco. 



2 < Whisk broom Box of matches. 



i Scrub brush. 



I Monkey wrench Hatch padlock. 



3 - Can opener, big Case-knife, fork. 



( Spoon, pliers Three tea spoons. 



Coffee can .Sugar can. 



4 •< Salt can Condensed milk. 



( Pepper box Bottle chow-chow. 



- j Generally vacant, the bedding bag preventing 



1 I easy access. 



I Spare rowlocks Hatchet. 



6 •<■ Spare blocks. 



/ Candles. 



„ J Towels Grub in general. 



' ( Slippers. 



The gun lies on the floor under starboard side deck and the 

 skipper's artificial aids to walking under port side deck. On deck, 

 between stem and mast, 2ft. 9in., is coiled the anchor cable, with 

 Chester folding 121b. anchor. On side decks, where the 6m. high 

 washboard pre ents their rolling off, are the oars, boathool , mast 

 and sail when not in use. A stern cable is coiled on after deck. 



In sailing a long handle tiller is used, so that steering can be 

 done from the cockpit, but under certain conditions the skipper 

 steers from the after deck, with the tiller put on the rudder head 

 "stern foremost," the handle sticking out astern like a boomkin. 

 The cruising sail generally used is a spritsail, which can be stowed 

 below, the hatches put on and locked, and the cruiser left at any 

 port with everything in her, while the skipper takes the train 

 home to spend Sunday with his family. 



With such arrangements as the above the skipper lives aboard 

 his boat, sometimes not touching shore for three or four days. 

 Sitting on her oilcloth-covered floor to cook a meal, he can reach 

 everything necessary without moving his position; sitting there 

 at night with the tent up he has 4ft. of headroom in a waterproof 

 cabin, which can be made warm and cosy in December by keeping 

 one of the oil stoves alight; and anchored at night in a cove he 

 sleeps like a top on a soft "air mattress," rocked gently by the 

 waves. 



Who wants a yacht when he can have as weatherly, comfort- 

 able and good sailing a craft as the Seneca for a tenth of yacht 

 price? And who wants a canoe for cruising on open waters when 

 he can have for equal cost a Barnegat cruiser, which is safer and 

 more comfortable, as fast a sailer and as easily propelled with a 

 "spruce breeze?" 



I have had both canoe and yacht, and I prefer the Seneca. 



OLD-TIME PLEASURE BOATS. 



THE interest expressed in my "old-time sailboats" prompts me 

 to record the doings of the early rowing clubs. 

 Happening to he in New York city in the spring of 1835, on an 

 evening I wandered down to the Battery, wnere I saw the boat 

 clubs rowing in their light and elegant barges, but of substantial 

 build — the shells had not then come in. Around the circular outer 

 wall of Castle Garden was a row of iron cranes, to which were 

 hanging several barges, and from others dangled the tackles for 

 hoisting similar boats to their places. These boats were a new 

 revelation for me. I already had a small sailboat, hut the sight 

 of this fleet of light rowboats created a new want. At Holt's 

 marble hotel, then new, where I stopped, were several Portland 

 young men, one of whom was James Appleton. Jr., a watchmaker. 

 The next evening I took him down to the Battery to see the boats, 

 but could not raise much enthusiasm in him except a promise to 

 take a share if I would build a boat. 



In a day or two some four or five of us left for home in the 

 steamboat President, Captain Comstock, then by courtesy styled 

 Commodore. With the Providence, Captain Thayer, the Presi- 

 dent formed a daily line to Providence, where numerous stage 

 coaches took the passengers to Boston, forty miles. While on 

 board the boat on the Sound, an agreement was made by several 

 of the party to build a light barge like those of the New York 

 clubs. After our arrival home the writer waited for some one to 

 move in the matter of the rowing club. On inquiry he soon 

 learned that the interest expressed on hoard the President had 

 cooled off. There was one who was determined to have a club 

 barge and trust to a revival of the interest on seeing the boat in 

 the water for assistance in the project. 



The first move was to find a builder who would undertake the 

 job, and to be under the direction of the writer, who had made 

 measurements and drawings irom the New York boats. William 

 Wallace, the boat builder, who died a few weeks ago at Cape 

 Elizabeth, at the age of 85, then had a shop on Portland Pier, and 

 undertook the job. The barge was to be of the lap-streak build, 

 but no cedar boards like those of which the New York boats were 

 built could be had here. Half -inch pine boards from small trees, 

 they being tougher, were used. The boat was to be 35ft. long and 

 a little over 3ft. beam, with thwarts for eight oarsmen. I did not 



